Book



c. B. COOK Jan. 29, 1952 BOOK Filed 001:. 28, 1949 Patented Jan. 29,1952 .Y. 1

UNITED sTATEs PATENT OFFICE Application October 28, 1949, Serial No.124,136

r Claims. (01. 281-49) This invention relates to improvements in booksof the loose-leaf type and the principal object of the invention is toprovide a binder structure which will bemore flexible, durable andgenerally more efficient than the corresponding bindings of the priorart.

The invention will be more readily understood by reference to theattached drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is an exploded view'i'n perspective of the essential elements ofa book made in accordance with the invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged view in perspective of one of the elementsillustrated in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view in perspective of one of the leaves of thebook formed for operative association with the binding elements shown inFig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary plan view of the interior of the fully assembledbook showing the operarings 2 and 3 which are split and which aremounted so as to be capable of opening and closing in accordance withthe conventional practice. The ring supporting elements are enclosed, inthe present instance, within an elongated casing 4 which is secured atthe mid-section of the cover. As set forth above, this cover member isof conventional type and its construction and mode of operation will bereadily understood from the foregoing description.

The reference numeral 5 indicates, in general, a filler unit composed ofa plurality of individual leaves 6 each bound to the others along onelongitudinal edge by means of a binder element I. The form of thisbinder element is most clearly illustrated in Fig. 2, it being notedthat it consists, in effect, of an elongated cylinder of relativelysmall diameter composed of a single piece The binder I is a conventionaland well-known type of binder, but the filler unit 5 departs from theconventional in the provision in the bound edges of the leaves 6 of tworecesses I2 and I3 which extend inwardly from the bound edges. Theserecesses I2 and I3 are spaced apart a distance corresponding to thedistance between the binder rings 2 and 3 of the. cover member I andsince the rings 2 and 3 are of greater diameter than the binder elementI, it is possible to insert the binder I into the interior of the rings,after the latter have been opened, so that when the rings are closed,they will embrace the sections of the binder I which bridge the outerends of the recesses I2 and I3. Fig. 4 illustrates the assembly producedin this manner.

It will be noted that in this assembly the leaves 6 bound together bythe small diameter binder I are entirely free from and have no directcontact with the rings 2 and 3 and that the unit 5 is held in placewithin the cover member I against radial displacement entirely throughthe interlock between the rings 2 and 3 and the binder I. This deviceaffords a material simplification and improvement over the priordevices. The leaves 6 are readily turned from one side of the cover tothe other around the binding element I with the entire freedom which isa characteristic of small diameter binders of that class. The recessesI2 and I3 are of such depth that in shifting from one position to theother, the leaves 6 have no material contact with the rings 2 and 3, aswell illustrated in Fig. 4. Tendency to mutilation of the sheets isgreatly reduced by confinement of the leaves solely in the multipleapertures I I on the fingers 9 of the binders I and by avoidance of anydirect binding connection between the leaves and the rings 2 and 3. 1

It will be noted that a book of this character may comprise one or aplurality of units similar to the unit 5, a multiple assembly beingshown in Figs. 5 and 6. In this assembly three separate units,designated respectively by the reference numerals I4, I5 and I6, areunited in the cover member I'I. Each of the units I4 and I5 comprises acylindrical binder, I8 and I9 respectively, corresponding to the binderI, and the unit I6 has a similar cylindrical binder 2| of somewhatlarger diameter to accommodate the larger number of leaves in this unit.The rings of the cover I I described by the reference numeral 22,embrace the binder elements I8, I9 and 2I in the manner described abovein connection with the embodiment of Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive.

It will be understood that the detail form and unit having" a pluralityof leaf elements and a binder having interlocking engagementindividually with an edge portion of each leaf element 'and uniting saidelements, said leaves having.

openings in the said edge portions thereof intersected by said binder,and filler-retaining'rings on said cover member embracingtheesaid binderwhere it intersects the said openings whereby displacement of the fillerunit from the-cover 7 member in direction radially of the rings isprevented-t solely by the. inter-engagement of the rings with thebinder.

2.: A book according to 'claiml wherein the binder of said ;filler unitconsists of .astubular member having longitudinally spaced..circumferential elements engaged respectively in similarly spacedapertures in. the edge :portions. of the leaves, said sheetsbeingindividually adjust.-

ableuabout said :elements to opposite sides of the tubular member.

3. A book according to claim 1 wherein the filler-retaining rings aresplit and are mounted so as to be capable of being opened and closed toadmit and release the said filler units.

4. A book according to claim 1 wherein a plurality of the filler unitsare embraced by the rings within the binder.

5. A book according to claim 1 wherein the said openings in the leavesare in theform of recesses ,.extending inward1y" from theproximate-edges of the leaves to a depth approximating the radius of thecover rings.

CARL B. COOK.

REFERENCES CITED .Thefollowing references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

'UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name a a Date Re. 10,903v Hawkins Feb. 21,1888 2;019,00l i Dsbarat Oct. 29, 1935 2,116,989 Ungeret a1." -May 10,1938 2,161,591 Rose .et a1. June 6,1939

FOREIGN PATENTS;

Number Country Date 313,643 Great Britain June 14, 1929

